Page 44 of Lush Curves

“Ummm. Don’t you just divorce him?”

“How? I have no idea where he is. If I did, I’d have tracked him down years ago, gone after him for some kind of help with Noah’s treatment costs.”

“Honey, you can divorce someone without actually finding them, you know. They don’t have to appear in court or anything like that.”

“What?” Annie almost fell off the bed. “No, I can’t! Yes, they do!”

“Sure you can and no they don’t. I can’t remember all the details, but I know you have to issue some kind of public declaration of your intent. Legal papers, newspapers, maybe online now. I think you have to do this every month for – what? Four months, maybe? And if he doesn’t come forward to contest the divorce, then it’s a done deal.”

“That’s impossible,” Annie said, struggling to stay calm. “I went to a lawyer when Billy disappeared, and he told me that unless I could physically find his location, then we’d stay married.”

“That was a while ago, honey,” Sam pointed out. “The law has moved on. Also? How do you know that he hasn’t divorced you already?”

“Because I haven’t received any papers to sign.”

“In a public issue divorce, you don’t have to. If he announced his intention and you didn’t see it in the paper and go after him, then it’s possible that he divorced you without you even knowing.”

Annie stared at him. “So – you mean – I might be –”

“Single.”

“But… how do I find out?”

“Therehaveto be ways,” Sam said. “I don’t know what they are, but there has to be some kind of database by state about public divorces.”

“So… what? I go through these databases state by state, maybe find one where he filed?”

“I’d look outside Colorado,” Sam said. “Chances are, if he was still in the state, then a lawyer would have had no trouble finding you. Cross state lines, and things get way more complicated.”

“Sure. Right.” Annie was stunned. “Yeah.”

“You OK?”

“Yes. I mean – yes. I just – I didn’t think it was possible without finding him.”

“Is this something that you’d consider?” Sam asked carefully. “Getting divorced?”

“God,yes.” She was adamant and strong. “I’d doanythingto be totally free from him. I know he’s gone physically, and emotionally, anything good that I felt for him died a long time ago, but he’s got space in my head, you know? It’s purely psychological. If I could just kick him out once and for all, I’d find some kind of peace that I don’t have right now.”

“You really ready to let go of the past like that?”

“Yes.”

“You do know that you have to do your best to actually find him first, though?” Sam said. “You have to be able to show that you made a real effort, and remember honey, this is almost a decade since you last tried. Social media footprints are easy to track, tax forms and property stuff is all online, even mug shots are on public websites. You might find Billy, and then you’d have to actually serve him papers and go that route.” He stroked her hair back off her face. “You’d have to see him again.”

“My past would slide on into my present, huh?”

“Yes.” He touched her lips. “Do you want that?”

“No.”

“Could you handle it anyway?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Sam, I have lived long enough to know a few things, and one of them is this: sometimes the past comes back and becomes your present, even just for a little while. It’s rarely pleasant, but if you’re strong and ready, then it doesn’t have to kill you, or wipe out your life, or take your future.”

---